You'd think that landing one of the best players in the history of basketball would be cause for celebration for all Lakers fans, but LeBron James' arrival to Los Angeles this summer hasn't been all rainbows and butterflies.
A mural showing LeBron in a Lakers uniform and calling him the "King of LA" was quick to go up outside of a BBQ joint in Venice, and it's also been quickly vandalized.
One Lakers fan on Twitter -- @BenOsaze, who calls himself "Unofficial Spokesperson for the Los Angeles Lakers Fanbase" --offered an irresistible $300 cash reward for the vandalization of the mural on Friday. When someone questioned why the self-proclaimed spokesperson would offer up a reward for a hit against a star player on his own team, the guy responded "no murals until he wins a title."
— LWOS LA Lakers (@LWOSLALakers) July 8, 2018
And apparently that offer was too enticing to pass up, as the mural was defaced by Sunday. Whoever followed through on the hit spray painted several insults on the mural, including "we don't want you," "LEFRAUD" and "3-6" (a reference to LeBron's career NBA Finals record).
Well that didn't last long smh pic.twitter.com/Jjq0rrEM43
— LWOS LA Lakers (@LWOSLALakers) July 8, 2018
A user on Twitter took credit for the vandalism, posted video of the proof, and asked for the $300 reward before deleting their account. @BenOsaze also locked his account once news of the defacement went public on Sunday.
Maybe the reward was paid out, maybe it wasn't. But the vandalism was short-lived, as it appears the mural was fixed by Sunday night -- though with a slight alteration. The "of" was removed from "The King of LA," which might help appease some Lakers supporters who are loyal to stars of the franchise's past.
It'll be interesting to see if any consequences come about for the person who messed with the mural, or for the cowardly troll who requested its defacement. Either way, Lavar Ball should probably have his alibi at the ready.